Siye Texts

Babel Text

11:1 Luka ukakem tum siye yenakikeni ekimpikina. 11:2 Umlo lupomisum itulosumakem, ilo lu Sinalamekem luponu tum eyuluwepunam ilo lu mekem umhitamlosumkakina. 11:3 Ilo ilotu eyekena: lelo yetampake elenupinam lelo a nimuku elepapisumname. Ilotu yetampake yetamkem isaki tumsumtumakikem ekimsokina. 11:4 Ilo eyekena: lelo lusili sili nukepu lupatesu esupunamameni elenupinam lelo lelotu mele lelo mu ponukem luka uka mekem lamusupusumsumekuki elenupime. 11:5 Kumayam i lusili sili nukepuni umlo yaso ekesoname ekopumeki itupununa. 11:6 Kumayam eyekena: kolowima! Ilo tum yokonopu ikimlokisumham ilotu tum siye ekimpukinasum, eki me ilo anulonammasum, ilo uka ilo ekekakana enuloyamma. 11:7 Lelo lesupinumam lelo siye ilome ilo siye umsane epilomuki epilosumnume. 11:8 Kumayam ponukem luka ukakem yalo etulosumsunam ilo lusili enupunemenanu. 11:9 Samku mele lume Papale ekimpukima, Kumayam lu mekem siye lu ukane emupusumnunayam Kumayam lumesum ponukem luka ukakem yalo etulosumsunaya.

The North Wind And the Sun

Impo Kasa Pomini eyuluweputenana: palatu tutu ekimpukimumo? Sukimayam tumna kamsutu pakeke tumki emtuku ikimpukimameyamna isuputuma. Iso isotu mekem umhiyesona: i tumkem sukimayamtu kamsutu etopusumsumameyamtu tutu ekimpukime. Impo Kasa tutuku yimpoputumam. I yimpoputumakem sukimayamna pewaki imesu kamsutu etupusumtunakam. Impo Kasa yimpunemetuna. Pomi pakeki ipomipunumam sukimayamna samnikekem kamsutu etopusunakam. Impo Kasa eyepuwituna Pomitu tutu ekimpukima.

The Polar Wind and the Sun wanted to find this: to whom was the power? A traveler who was wrapped inside by means of a warm cloak approached. The two agreed (spoke to each other in this): To him who first makes the traveler remove his cloak is the power. The Polar Wind blew hard strongly but when he blew hard the traveler made the cloak move towards his body and The Polar Wind stopped blowing. The Sun shone with heat and the traveler quickly removed the cloak and the Polar Wind had to acknowledge that to the Sun was the power.

	Impo Kasa Pomi-ni-0 e-i-uluwe-pu-te-na-na pala-tu tutu e-kim-pu-ki-ma-umo
	Polar Wind Sun-COM-NOM 4-3-find-SG-VOL-D2-P2 who-DAT power 4-to.be-SG-D1-P1-Q

	sukimayam tum-na kamsutu-0 pakeke tum-ki emtu-ku i-kim-pu-ki-ma-ame-yam-na i-su-pu-tu-ma
	traveler INDEF-ERG cloak-ABS warm INDEF-INS inside-ADV 3-to.be-SG-D1-P1-REL-AGT-ERG 3-move-SG-D5-P1

	i-so-0 i-so-tu me-kem um-i-ye-so-na: i-0 tum-kem sukimayam-tu kamsutu-0
	3-DU-NOM 3-DU-DAT this-LOC REFL-3-speak.PFV-DU-P2 3-NOM one-LOC traveler-DAT cloak-ABS

	e-i-to-pu-sum-su-me-ame-yam-tu tutu-0 e-kim-pu-ki-me
	4-3-remove-SG-CAUS-D5-P7-REL-AGT-DAT power-ABS 4-to.be-SG-D5-P7

	Impo Kasa-0 tutu-ku i-impo-pu-tu-ma-am i-0 i-impo-pu-tu-ma-kem
	Polar.Wind-NOM power-ADV 3-blow.hard-SG-D5-P1-COORD 3-NOM 3-blow.hard-SG-D5-P1-TEMP

	sukimayam-na pewaki i-me-su kamsutu-0 e-i-tu-pu-sum-tu-na-ki-am
	traveler-ERG body 3-POSS-ALL cloak-ABS 4-3-move.PFV-SG-CAUS-D5-P2-RES-COORD

	Impo Kasa -0 i-impo-pu-neme-tu-na
	Polar Wind-NOM 3-blow.hard-SG-TERM-D5-P2

	Pomi-0 pake-ki i-pomi-pu-nu-ma-am sukimayam-na samni-ke-kem kamsutu-0
	Sun-NOM heat-INS 3-shine-SG-D3-P6-COORD traveler-ERG time-DIM-LOC cloak-ABS

	e-i-to-pu-su-ma-ki-am
	4-3-to.remove-SG-D4-P1-RES-COORD

	Impo Kasa-0 e-i-ye-pu-wi-tu-na Pomi-tu tutu-0 e-kim-pu-ki-ma
	Polar Wind-NOM 4-3-speak.PFV-SG-POS.IMV-D5-P2 Sun-DAT power-ABS 4-be-SG-D1-P1

New Text

Um tumna lu tupi lukelomesum sili susumsuyam Kumayamnelotutu etuputuna. Nimuku isupuyammu iya. Iya lu Atammesum Kiwasu samnike ituputuna. Im kekekem iya tutuku yimputamtumam iya tutuku yimputamsuma. Susumsuyam tumna ituki enampunam iya ya yikoputuna.

Susumsuyamna eyekena: "Pe susumsuyam leya luloya lu Atammesum yitupusumsuname pekimpukima. Letu mele leme Taniye Nusu ekimpukima. Petu mele pala?"

Um eyekena: "Letu mele leme Leyo Nusu. Yetam kutu me letu eyapu ekimpukima. Im lumekem yasakeku lekimpukima."

Taniye eyekena: "Emtu supuwitume.Lu mene emkim supusumwinume. Le petu saki pake elenupumam le petu elesupusumtuma."

Leyo silisu ituputunam Taniye ituki etampusummuna. Taniye saki pakeni yem isuputumakem Leyo itu eyekena: "Leya lo lenepiya sa yenakimsu sampukatuna. Mumnu pala sakikem ipetupusumnunamo? Pe Pem Nimulo Imlisum Siyesu epumlosumsunamo?"

A man reached the mission house from the spaceport, walking unsteadily. He had arrived very recently on Mars from Earth. In the thin air he huffed and puffed. A missionary opened the door and looked at him.

The missionary said: "You are the missionary whom the Fathers have sent from Earth. My name is Brother Daniel. What is your name?"

The man said: “My name is Brother Leo. I have an official report, bad news. In the atmosphere here I am a bit cold.”

Daniel said: “Come inside, sit down. I will make you tea and bring it to you.”

Leo entered the house and Daniel closed the door. When Daniel returned, Leo said to him: “Our mutual superiors have decided to remove you from mission work. How many have you baptized? Have you translated the Good News from English to Siye?”

Vocabulary

um - man

tum – indefinite article

-na – nunated form of the ergative suffix

lu tupi luke-me – spaceport

lu – place

tupi luke – spaceship

tupi – bird

luke – world, planet

sili susumsuyam Kumayamnelotu- mission house

sili – house

susumsuyam Kumayamnelo – missionaries

susumsuyam – missionary

Kumayam – God; the Lord

etuputuna – he reached

nimuku – well (adverb)

isupuyammu – he did not walk

iya – he

lu Atammesum – from Earth

lu Atamme – Human's Land, Earth

Kiwa – Mars

samnike – a short time

ituputuna – he had arrived

im kekekem – in the thin air

im – air; breath; spirit

keke – small

tutuku – strongly

yimputamtumam – he continuously breathed out and …

yimputamtuma – he continuously breathed out

-(a)m – connective participle

yimputamsuma – he continuously breathed in

ituki – door

enampunam – he opened it

ya – him, accusative case

yikoputuna – he looked at him

eyekena – he said (it) [N.B.: the perfective aspect of 'to say' always takes the paucal suffix -ke- when a quote follows]

pe – you, nominative case

leya lulo – fathers; Fathers

leya lu – father

leya – male

yitupusumsuname - whom they have sent (who he/they have sent him)

yitupusumsuna – they have sent him

-(a)me – relative clause suffix

pekimpukima – you (sg) are

Letu mele leme … ekimpukima – my name is

letu – to me

le – I,me

-tu – dative case suffix

mele – name

-me – possessive case suffix

ekimpukima – it is

Taniye – Daniel

Nusu – Brother

Petu mele pala? - What is your name?

pala – what, who

Leyo Nusu – Brother Leo

yetam kutu me letu ekimpukima – I have this official report

yetam kutu – official report

yetam – stone

kutu – leader, to lead

letu – for me ( letu … I have)

eyapu – as a bad thing

eya – bad

-pu – equative case suffix

im lume – atmosphere

yasakeku – a little cold (adverbial)

yasake – a little cold

-ku – adverbial case suffix

yasa – cold; polar

-ke – diminutive suffix

emtu – inside (allative)

supuwitume – come inside (imperative)

lu mene emkim supusumwinume – sit down inside

lu mene emkim – inside (inside of this place)

emkim – inside (locative postposition); governs genitive case

lu mene – of this place

lu me – this place

-ne – genitive case suffix

me – this, that

supusumwinume – sit down inside (positive imperative)

saki pake – tea

saki – water

pake – hot

elenupumam – I shall make it and …

elenupuma – I shall make it

elesupusumtuma – I shall bring it

silisu ituputunam – he entered the house and ..

silisu – into the house

-su – allative case suffix

ituputuna – he entered

etampusummuna – he closed it (he/they caused it to not be open)

saki pakeni – with tea

-ni – comitative case suffix

Taniye yem isuputumakem – when Daniel returned …

yem isuputuma – he returned

-kem – when; temporal clause suffix

yem – again

isuputuma – he entered

itu – to him

leya lo lenepiya – our mutual Fathers

leya lo lenepi- - our mutual Fathers

-ya – iotated ergative case suffix

-pi- - inclusive number suffix

leya (lu) lo – Fathers

sa yenakimsu sampukatuna – they have decided to remove you from mission work

sa – you, accusative case

yenakimsu – from mission work

yenakim – mission work, place of writing

Mumnu pala sakikem ipetupusumnunamo? - How many have you baptized?

mumnu pala – what number?

sakikem ipetupusumnuna – you have baptized (caused to go under in the water)

sakikem – in the water

saki – water

-kem – locative case suffix

ipetupusumnunamo – have you caused him/them to go under?

ipetupusumnuna – you have caused him/them to go under

(a)mo – interrogative suffix

Pem Nimulo – Good News

pem – new

nimu – good

-lo – plural number suffix

Imlisum – from English

Imli – English

-sum – ablative case suffix

Siyesu – into Siye

Siye – Siye

-su - allative case suffix

epumlosumsunamo – have you translated?

epumlosumsuna – you have translated (you have caused it to change from)

Acts 16:9-15

Nelokem yenaki nelome tum Polutu etupuna. Leya Maketoniyasum itu isiputumam eyekena: Supuwituma Maketoniyasu pam lalo koki lesupusumwimama. i yenaki nelome eyempumakem, samni tumkem Maketoniyane emtu lesukenasu, leke ukaku elemupunaya: Kumayam leke lesakesumtuna ilotu Pem Nimulo elesiketekatume. Lelo Toloasum sakiki letukesunam Samotalakesu ponuku lesukemam pomulukem Neyapolisu lesukemam lu mesum Pulipisu letukesunam e lusili kutu me lu me Maketoniyanekempu ekimpukimam e koloniya tum Lomayammeka. Lusili mene emkim pomikekem letamkekima. Pomi numuyammekem lusiline potekim sakikemhume kemhulukim eletukesuna leke elenekemkekinaya lu mekem lu sinamaki Kumayamtune ekimpukima. Lekimkesumnunam laye tumtu itulotunam leke ilotu elesiketuma. Laye tum ekimpukimam mele ime Litea ekimpukimam i sinamayam Kumayamnepu ekimpukimam i lake leyoputumam i lusili Teyatelanesum ekimpukimam I kam kiwa nelome eyapusuma. Kumayam ekiwa ime enampusumnana i yenaki Polune eyoputumaki. Yokono sili imeni ya sakikem yamutupusumnunakem, i iketu eyepokena: le Kumayamtu nimuku lekimpukima lepesikekimasum, suketumam ukekima sili lemekemham leke me elekepuna.

	nelo-kem ye-na-ki nelo-me tum Polu-tu e-tu-pu-na leya-0 Maketoniya-sum i-tu i-si-pu-tu-ma-ham e-ye-ke-na
	dark-LOC speak.PFV-PFV-PASS.NMLZR dark-POSS INDEF Paul-DAT 4-move.PFV-SG-P2 male-ABS Macedonia-ABL 3-DAT 3-speak.IMPFV-SG-D5-P1-COORD 4-3-speak.PFV-PAUC-P2

	su-pu-wi-tu-ma Maketoniya-su pe-am la-lo ko-ki le-su-pu-sum-wi-na-ma
	move.IMPFV-SG-IMV-D5-P1 Macedonia-ALL 2-COORD 1.ACC-PL hand-INS 1-move.IMPFV-SG-CAUS-IMV-D2-P1

	i yenaki nelo-me e-i-yem-pu-ma-kem samni tum-kem Maketoniya-nemtu le-su-ke-na-su, le-ke uka-ku e-le-mu-pu-na-ya
	3 spoken dark-POSS 4-3-see.PFV-SG-P1 time INDEF-LOC Macedonia-ILL 1-move.IPFV-PAUC-P1-THEN, 1-PAUC all-ADV 4-1-know.PFV-SG-P2-EXPLAN

	Kumayam-0 la-ke le-sa-ke-sum-tu-na i-lo-tu Pem Nimu-lo-0 e-i-le-si-ke-teka-tu-me
	lord-NOM 1.ACC-PAUC 1-be.wet-PAUC-CAUS-D5-P2 3-PL-DAT New Good-PL-ABS 4-1-speak.IMPFV-PAUC-should-D5-P3

	le-lo-0 Toloa-sum saki-ki le-tu-ke-su-na-am Samotalake-su ponu-ku le-su-ke-ma-am pomulu-kem Neyapoli-su le-su-ke-ma-am lu me-sum Pulipi-su le-tu-ke-su-na-am e-0 lusili kutu me lu me Maketoniya-ne-kem-pu e-kim-pu-ki-ma-am e-0 koloniya-0 tum Lomayam-me-ka.
	1-PL-NOM Troas-ABL water-INS 1-move.PFV-PAUC-D4-P2-COORD Samothrace-ALL flat-ADV 1-move.IMPFV-PAUC-P1-COORD next.day Neapolis-ALL 1-move.IMPFV-PAUC-P1-COORD land DEM-ABL Philippi-ALL 1-move.PFV-PAUC-D5-P2-COORD 4-ABS city lead DEM land DEM Macedonia-GEN-LOC-EQ 4-be-SG-DIR.STA-P1-COORD 4-NOM colony-ABS INDEF Roman-POSS-PAN

	lusili me-nemkim pomi-ke-kem le-tam-ke-ki-ma
	city DEM-INE day-PAUC-LOC 1-remain-PAUC-D1-P1

	pomi nu-mu-yam-me-kem lusili-ne potekim sakikemhu-me kemhulukim e-le-tu-ke-su-na le-ke-0 e-le-nekem-ke-ki-na-ya lu me-kem lu sinamaki Kumayam-tu-ne e-kim-pu-ki-ma
	day do.IMPFV-P5-ACT.NMLZR-POSS-LOC city-GEN gate river-POSS bank 4-1-move.PFV-PAUC-D4-P2 1-PAUC-NOM 4-1-think-PAUC-D1-P2-EXPLAN place DEM-LOC place praise God-DAT-GEN 4-be-SG-D1-P1

	lekimkesumnunam laye tumtu itulotunam leke ilotu elesiketuma.
	1-be-PAUC-CAUS-D3-P2-COORD woman INDEF-DAT 3-move.PFV-PL-D5-P2-COORD 1-PAUC 3-1-speak.IMPFV-PAUC-D5-P1

	laye tum-0 e-kim-pu-ki-ma-am mele i-me-0 Litea-0 e-kim-pu-ki-ma-am i-0 sina-ma-yam Kumayam-ne-pu e-kim-pu-ki-ma-am i-0 la-ke le-i-yo-pu-tu-ma-am i-0 lusili Teyatelane-sum e-kim-pu-ki-ma-am i-0 kam kiwa-0 nelo-me e-ya-pu-su-ma
	woman INDEF-ABS 4-be-SG-D1-P1-COORD name 3-POSS-ABS Lydia-NOM 4-be-SG-D1-P1-COORD 3-NOM praise-P1-ACT.NMLZR God-GEN-EQ 4-be-SG-D1-P1-COORD 3-NOM 1.ACC-PAUC 1-3-hear.IMPFV-SG-D5-P1-COORD 3-NOM city Thyatira-ABL 4-be-SG-D1-P1-COORD 3-NOM cloth red-ABS dark-POSS 4-3-market.IMPFV-SG-D4-P1

	Kumayam-0 ekiwa i-me-0 e-i-nam-pu-sum-na-na i-0 yenaki Polu-ne-0 e-yo-pu-tu-ma-ki
	God-NOM heart 3-POSS-ABS 4-3-open-SG-CAUS-DIR.UP-P2 3-NOM word Paul-GEN-ABS 4-3-hear.IMPFV-SG-D5-P1-PURP

	yokono sili i-me-ni ya saki-kem ya-mu-tu-pu-sum-nu-na-kem, i-0 iketu e-yepo-ke-na
	group house 3-POSS-COM 3.ACC water-LOC 3.ACC-INDEF-move.PFV-SG-CAUS-D3-P2-TEMP, 3-NOM 3-PAUC-DAT 4-3-invite-PAUC-P2

	le-0 Kumayam-tu nimu-ku le-kim-pu-ki-ma le-pe-si-ke-ki-ma-sum, su-ke-tu-ma-am u-ke-ki-ma sili le-me-kem-am le-ke-0 me-le-ke-pu-na.
	1-NOM God-DAT good-ADV 1-be-SG-D1-P1 1-2-speak.IMPFV-PAUC-DIR.STA-P1-COND, move.IPFV-PAUC-D5-P1-COORD stay-PAUC-D1-P1 house 1-POSS-LOC-COORD 1-PAUC-NOM DEM 4-1-do.PFV-SG-P2

A Joke At the Market

A Siye exchange, heard at the market. A girl at a stall is talking to her friend. “umtu elapunamsunam, letu aleyeketuna: 'Lumekekem elaputumam, petu umletompusunaya.' Itu aleyekesuna: 'Letu lumekekem umpetomputunasum, petu lumepokem layumsa ilapuyammasu.'”

“So I'm giving the sales-pitch to this guy. He said to me: 'Perhaps I could get a discount, because I have sold myself to you.' I said to him: 'If you've sold yourself to me at discount, perhaps I can sell you to another girl for a profit.'”

	umtu elapunamsunam, letu aleyeketuna: 'Lumekekem elaputumam, petu umletompusunaya.'
	um-tu e-l-a-pu-nam-su-na-ham le-tu a-le-ye-ke-tu-na lume-ke-kem e-l-a-pu-tu-ma-am pe-tu um-le-tom-pu-su-na-ya
	person-DAT 4-1-buy/sell.IMPFV-SG-INCPTVE-D4-P1-COORD 1- DAT 4-1-speak.PFV-PAUC-D5-P2 money-PAUC-LOC 4-1-buy/sell.IPFV-SG-D5-P1-COORD 2- DAT REFL-1-buy/sell.PFV-SG-D4-P2-CAUS

	Itu aleyekesuna: 'Letu lumekekem umpetomputunasum, petu lumepokem layumsa ilapuyammasu.'”
	i-tu a-le-ye-ke-su-na le-tu lume-ke-kem um-pe-tom-pu-tu-na-sum pe-tu lume-po-kem layumsa-0 i-le-a-pu-yam-ma-su
	3-DAT 4-1-speak.PFV-PAUC-D4-P2 1-DAT money-PAUC-LOC REFL-2-buy/sell.PFV-SG-D5-P2-if 2-DAT money-AUG-LOC other.woman-ABS 3-1-buy/sell.IMPFV-SG-ABL-P1-then

Imno Yokonone

Imno Yokonone

Lusili tumnemkim, nuka uluwetuni, lotulu sakipokem,

Lu mekem samnulupokem kimwikimakim Kosotunime ekimpunamtuna.

Peyapomilokem tutuni

Nimulo iloya kulu me esilotamnamamesum imuluwekuyamme.

	Imno Yokonone: Lusili tumnemkim, nuka uluwetuni, lotulu sakipokem, Lu mekem samnulupokem kimwikimakim Kosotunime ekimpunamtuna.
	imno-0 yokono-ne lusili tum-nemkim nuka uluwetu-ni lotulu sakipo-kem lu me-kem samni-ulu-po-kem kimwikimakim-0 Kosotuni-me e-kim-pu-nam-tu-na
	hymn-ABS group-GEN town INDEF-INE full exploration-COM near lake/sea-LOC place DEF-COM time-TNS-AUX-LOC destiny-ABS Fourteen-POSS 4-be-SG-INCEP-D5-P2

	Peyapomilokem nuyammakini tutuni/ Nimulo iloya kulu me esilotamnamamesum imuluwekuyamme.
	peyapomi-lo-kem nuyammaki-ni tutu-ni nimu-lo-0 i-lo-ya kulu me e-si-lo-tam-na-ma-ame-sum i-mu-uluwe-ku-yam-me
	year-PL-LOC strength-COM power-COM good-PL-ABS 3-PL-ERG story DEM 4-speak-PL-CONT-D2-P1-REL-ABL 3-INDEF-find-NUL-ABIL-P3

Reading and Stress Analysis of A Siye Couplet

Ketekananukilo leneki elekelonana;

Alenuputenamamelo elenupuyamnamu.

"Those things which I should not have done I have done;

Those things which I want to do I cannot do."

-St. Paul

Reading Analysis

‘elekelonana’: e- is 3rd inanimate object prefix. –le- is the 1st subject prefix. –ke- is a perfective aspect suppletive root of ‘do’ or ‘die’, but here the object and subject prefix indicate that it is ‘do’, which is transitive, rather than ‘die’ , which is intransitive. If there is a causative suffix later on, reexamination may be necessary. –lo- is the plural grammatical number suffix. The aspect of the verb controls whether the grammatical number suffix refers to the subject or the object of the clause. In this case, the perfective aspect revealed by the use of the verb root –ke- indicates that the grammatical number suffix refers to the object e-. There is no causative suffix, nor any ‘converbal’ suffix. The directional suffix –na- could be considered part of a continuous root, -ke-na- ‘do’, although it is not mandatory here because the prefixes e-le- without a causative suffix indicate that the verb is inherently transitive rather than a valence-raised intransitive verb. The PAM suffix –na- indicates perfective aspect, positive polarity, and realis mood.

‘ketekananukilo’: ‘ketekananukilo’ is the plural form of the participial noun ‘ketekananaki’, which is a participial form of ‘elekelotekananu’ ‘I should not have done them’. e- is the 3rd inanimate object prefix, -le- is the 1st subject prefix, -ke-na- is the perfective transitive root ‘do’. –teka- is the ‘converbal’ suffix ‘would like to’ (with the irrealis mood) or ‘should’ (with the realis mood’). The PAM suffix –nu indicates realis mood, perfective aspect, and negative polarity, so –teka- is ‘should have not’ rather than ‘would not have liked to’. To form the participial stem, the prefixes and the grammatical number suffixes are removed; then, to form the passive inanimate stem, the aspect must be perfective (unless the ‘converbal’ suffix governs the imperfective) and the –ki suffix added. So ‘elekelotekananu’ becomes ‘ketekananuki’. The number suffix –lo is then added. Note that this –lo agrees with the –lo- in ‘elekelonana’. The absolutive case is zero-marked.

But the change from ‘elekelotekananu’ to ‘ketekananuki’ has eliminated reference to the subject. In neither word so far is there a reference to the grammatical number of the subject. One possibility is an explicit subject, but a different option is used here. The 1st person pronoun le- is suffixed with the Animate Instrumental case –neki. The singular number is zero-marked in Siye; if the pronoun were plural, the word would be ‘leloneki’.

‘elenupuyamnamu’: e- and –le- are the object and subject prefixes, respectively. –nu- is the imperfective suppletive root of transitive ‘do’, and formerly or archaically of ditransitive ‘give’, and the perfective suppletive root of transitive ‘copulate’. ‘give’ has yielded in finite non-participial forms to standard –numu-. –pu- is the singular grammatical number suffix. As yet, the aspect of the verb is not clear, and therefore neither is the subject or object reference of –pu-. The ‘converbal’ suffix –yam- indicates ‘be able to’. –yam- governs the imperfective aspect; therefore the verb is ‘do’ rather than ‘copulate’, and the grammatical number suffix refers to the subject rather than the object. The directional suffix –na- is an extension of the root ‘do’. In previous times, the use of –na- rather than –tu- distinguished –nu-na- ‘do’ from –nu-tu- ‘give’. The PAM suffix –mu has imperfective aspect (due to –yam-), realis mood, and negative polarity.

‘alenuputenamamelo’: ‘alenuputenanmamelo’ is the plural form of the nominalized relative verb ‘alenuputenamame’, which is the relativized form of ‘alenuputenama’. a- is the object-oriented object 3rd inanimate object prefix. –le- is the 1st subject prefix. –nu- is the imperfective transitive suppletive root ‘do’. –pu- is the singular grammatical number suffix and it applies to the subject because –nu- is imperfective . –te- is the ‘converbal’ suffix ‘to want’ rather than the suppletive ‘converbal’ suffix ‘to practice’ because the former governs the imperfective aspect while the latter governs the perfective aspect. The directional suffix –na- is an extension of the root ‘do’. The PAM suffix –ma- is positive polarity, imperfective aspect, and probably realis mood, although the following suffix –ame- could be obscuring irrealis mood PAM suffix –me-. The imperfective aspect here reconfirms that the ‘converbal’ suffix –te- is ‘to want’ and that the grammatical number suffix refers to the subject. The relative suffix –ame- transforms the verb into a relative form, but also obscures the mood of the PAM suffix. –lo is the plural number suffix. The absolutive case is zero-marked.

Stress Analysis

Ketekananukilo leneki elekelonana;

Alenuputenamamelo elenupuyamnamu.

Elekelonana – The verb root is –ke-, the directional suffix is –na-, and the stressed prefix syllable is e-. Trochaic, trochaic, trochaic. Easy.

Leneki – This is a pronoun, but stress on the initial syllable produces a dactyl. Done

Ketekananukilo – This is a nominalized participle. The verb root is ke-, and the directional suffix is –na-. This creates a dactyl keteka-, and a four syllable –nanukilo. Note that the singular form, ketekananuki, consists of two dactyls and is therefore acceptable, but the stress assignment on the plural form is unfinished. –ki is a single syllable suffix and therefore can take the stress, creating a pattern of dactyl-dactyl-trochee. Also note that in ketekananukilo, the initial syllable of the suffix –teka- cannot take stress even though it is an initial syllable because ke- is stressed.

Elenupuyamnamu – The verb root is –nu-, the directional suffix is –na-, and the stressed prefix is e-. Trochee, dactyl, trochee. Resist the temptation to change trochaic –namu into dactylic –yamnamu. Although trochee-trochee-dactyl is a valid stress pattern, the directional suffix –na- has priority over the converbal suffix –yam-.

Alenuputenamamelo – This is a nominalized participle. The verb root is –nu-, the directional suffix is –na-, and the stressed prefix is a-. This produces a trochee ale-, a dactyl –nupute-, and –namamelo. Note that once again, if this had been singular, -namame would form a dactyl and stress assignment would be complete. The four syllable sequence –namamelo has only two potential stressed syllables: -na- and –ma-. –lo cannot receive stress because it is a final syllable, and –me- cannot receive stress because it is the second syllable of the relative suffix –ame-. –ma- here can receive stress because in case the –a- of –ma- is a contraction of the PAM suffix number one (imperfective aspect, positive polarity, realis aspect) and the relative suffix suffix –ame-. So secondary stress can move to –ma-, creating a dactyl –mamelo. This change, however, results in a single stressed syllable –na-. The stress then moves to –te-, a single syllable suffix and therefore eligible to receive stress, reducing the dactyl –nupute- to the trochee –nupu- and creating the trochee –tena-. The directional suffix –na- is the strongly preferred place for secondary stress, but it is not mandatory.